Nyvlaat (Spider Crusaders)
The Rivals Native to S'sata'vol, the Nyvlaat are a sentient, extremely religious race of humanoids, inhabiting all but the Hellfire Isle, having been pushed out long ago by the Ann'mui. While the two still exist in a shaky peace, where neither side truly intentionally agitates the other, accidental encounters frequently end in conflict, with a shockingly fair chance of either side emerging victorious. Their existence has seriously hampered expansion on S'sata'vol, as, while the Ann'mui are generally superior in most regards to the Nyvlaat, the "Spider Crusaders" have strong wills, extremely effective weapons and armour, and the home field advantage to boot, with only one expedition against them proving entirely beneficial to the Ann'mui- That being the colonization of the Hellfire Isle. The Nyvlaat stand, on average, five-and-a-half to six-and-a-half feet tall, with wide, stocky, muscular builds. Their language and culture overall, while it is considered primitive by most galactic standards, is very much developed enough to make them an extremely dangerous opponent, especially in large numbers, and, despite lacking the galvanized muscular structure of the Ann'mui, their limbs are broad and extremely powerful nonetheless, that, while not overpowering the general populous of the Ann'mui, is still more than enough to make them a worthy opponent, even unarmed. Because of both this and their two pairs of arms, they tend to be extremely disciplined in hand-to-hand combat- Stark in contrast to their tribal nature- And possess a code similar to the Ann'mui "Ann'am," or, perhaps more accurate of a comparison, the knights' code of chivalry. Biology Head Brains Unlike nearly all other known creatures, the Nyvlaat possess three separate brains; All oriented in the head, with the "Upper" brain devoted entirely to higher cognitive function, the "Lower" brain handling motor skills and instinct, and "Transitional" brain serving mostly as a highway through which information jumps between the other two. While none can truly function independently from the others, the "Bleed" of functions from brain to brain is extremely minimal, and, while in action, other than memory hopping from top to bottom, an individual brain very much controls its own domain. With all three working in conjunction, their instincts in combat can often match the extremely deep wells of experience housed within the minds of their Ann'mui rivals blow-for-blow, and, because of these instincts being preferred over experience- Of which the Nyvlaat are generally lacking, do to their enclosed lifestyles- They can often be extremely unpredictable in one-on-one engagements. Functions - Upper Brain * Higher cognitive functions * Sensory processing * Memory processing Functions - Transitional Brain * Memory storage * Information relay between Upper and Lower brains Functions - Lower Brain * Instinct * Fine/Rough motor control Eyes Much like a chameleon, the six eyes of the Nyvlaat can turn and focus independently of each other, making it incredibly difficult to ambush them without addling their minds beforehand, and, to make matters worse, the eyes curve around the armoured bone of their heads, giving them three-hundred-fifty-degrees of vision. To add to these already-powerful advantages, both the sclera and irises have a vividly crimson bioluminescent glow, granting considerably effective vision in dark environments, which, under the shadowed canopy of S'sata'vol's thick jungles, makes them particularly dangerous. Arms One of the most striking features of the Nyvlaat are their arms, of which there are four, each possessing a single hand with vaguely humanoid, long digits. Each arm can be utilized individually or in tandem with the others, with more ease than even humans with their own two, due to an entire brain being dedicated to their use. While the Nyvlaat don't have a dominant hand, they do typically have a dominant set of arms, with the most common being the primary set, in front. "Backhanded" Nyvlaat are far rarer, and believed to have been chosen by their God, which often puts them far from the front lines. Primary Arms The primary arms, while shorter, are generally stronger than the secondary arms, and typically see the most use (Save for the "Backhanded" Nyvlaat.) Heavier weapons, such as their signature war-scythes and crossbows, are typically held by this set, but their supporting battleaxes, swords, and hybrids of both can be just as easily wielded by them.